Historical Hanok {Susan/Mummy}

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It is amazing how well you can sleep on a marble floor! All the foot-weariness from the previous day's hike gone, we got up and left the jjimjilbang to find a taxi to go to Hanok Village on the outskirts of Jeonju. We had absolutely no sense of where we were so started walking in the direction we thought was correct. We eventually hailed a taxi and found we were going in the wrong direction and were miles from where we wanted to be!

Hanok Village is a kind of living museum where all the builings are representative of typical Korean architecture. We spent quite a lot of time looking round what seemed to be a place used by royalty perhaps for meetings or holding religious events. There was an adjacent area with staff quarters and places for preparation for religious occasions. The buildings were all very cleverly designed to maximise the use of space and had minimal furniture. If you thought underfloor heating was a modern concept, the Koreans have been doing it for centuries! A fire was lit at the side of the house and heated a hollow area built under the house - so simple but very effective in the icy Korean winters.

It was hot and very humid and we eventually asked if we could leave our back packs at the information booth. The going got much easier after that. We spent time walking around the village having a look at some of the local crafts. All too soon, time was up and we had to collect our bags and get a taxi to the bus terminus to catch a bus back to Ilsan. We bought tickets and sat in a state of satisfied happiness right under a fan until it was time to go. At the end of a week crammed full of fun and adventure, we could just sit back and once again admire the passing countryside on the way back to English Village.

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Photos

Picture perfect
One of the many houses with neat, beautiful gardens

Portrait of a king
Picture of one of the many kings in Korean history

Transport for the king
It's not a Rolls Royce but good enough for the king

Guard's House
Where the king's men live

Underfloor heating
So clever these Koreans!

Minimalist!
Everything in the house is there for a reason and totally functional

Blissful shade
Welcome relief under trees from the blistering heat